nnoun.communicationa grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of timeHypernyms:grammatical category syntactic category
Inherited Hypernyms:tensegrammatical categoryclasscollectiongroupabstractionentity
Direct Hyponyms:aoristcontinuous tensefuturefuture tenseimperfectimperfect tensepastpast tenseperfectperfect tenseperfectiveperfective tensepresentpresent tenseprogressiveprogressive tense
Full Hyponyms:aoristfuturefuture perfectfuture progressivehistorical presentpastpast perfectpast progressiveperfectivepresentpresent perfectpresent progressivepreteritprogressive
vverb.contactbecome stretched or tense or tautSynset:strain
Examples:- the bodybuilder's neck muscles tensed
- the rope strained when the weight was attached
Derivationally Related Form:tensionstrain
Hypernyms:tighten
Inherited Hypernyms:straintightenchange
Sentence Frame:Something ---s
vverb.changeincrease the tension onExamples:- alternately relax and tense your calf muscle
- tense the rope manually before tensing the spring
Derivationally Related Form:tension
Hypernyms:alter change modify
Inherited Hypernyms:tensechange
Sentence Frame:Somebody ---s something | Something ---s something
vverb.bodybecome tense, nervous, or uneasySynset:tense up
Examples:- He tensed up when he saw his opponent enter the room
Antonyms:relax
Derivationally Related Form:tensortension
Hypernyms:change state turn
Inherited Hypernyms:tensechange statechange
Sentence Frame:Something ---s | Somebody ---s | Somebody's (body part) ---s
vverb.bodycause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxiousSynset:strain tense up
Examples:- he got a phone call from his lawyer that tensed him up
Antonyms:relaxunstrain
Derivationally Related Form:tensionstrain
Hypernyms:affect
Inherited Hypernyms:tenseaffectchange
Direct Hyponyms:extendstretch
Causes:tense up tense
Full Troponyms:cranespread-eaglestretch
Sentence Frame:Somebody ---s something | Something ---s somebody
adjadj.allin or of a state of physical or nervous tensionAntonyms:relaxed
Derivationally Related Form:tenseness
Inherited Hypernyms:tense
Similar to:antsy fidgety fretful itchy aroused wound up cliff-hanging nail-biting suspenseful suspensive edgy high-strung highly strung jittery jumpy nervy overstrung restive uptight electric isotonic nervous pumped pumped-up pumped up wired strained taut unrelaxed
See also:agitated uneasy
adjadj.allpronounced with relatively tense tongue muscles (e.g., the vowel sound in 'beat')Topic:phonetics
Antonyms:lax
Inherited Hypernyms:tense
Similar to:constricted
adjadj.alltaut or rigid; stretched tightAntonyms:lax
Derivationally Related Form:tensitytenseness
Inherited Hypernyms:tense
Similar to:overstrung taut tight
See also:tight